Singapore Layoffs Hit 6-Year High in Q3 2026; 4,800 Employees Lose Jobs: Check Details and Affected Sectors

The layoffs spree continued further as Singapore recorded its highest number of job losses in nearly 6 years during the third quarter of 2026. 

As per the available data, almost 4,800 workers lost their jobs between July and September this year, slightly higher than the 4,620 recorded in the previous quarter. Business reorganisation remained the key reason behind the job cuts, with retrenchments staying elevated in selected sectors. 

Check out the latest figures and other key details below.

How Many Employees Lost Their Jobs in Singapore in Q3 2026?

According to the Ministry of Manpower's Labour Market Advance Release, Singapore recorded 4,800 job cuts in total during Q3 2026, an increase of around 3.9% from the previous quarter.

This figure is the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country recorded around 5,640 employees losing their jobs in Q4 2020.

🚨 SINGAPORE LAYOFFS REACH HIGHEST QUARTERLY LEVEL SINCE 2020 DESPITE STRONG JOB GROWTH SINGAPORE - More companies now face a harder task in workforce planning because the labour market is sending conflicting signals. Businesses are still adding jobs, yet the sectors producing many of Singapore's higher-value private-sector roles continue to cut staff through restructuring. That creates a mismatch between where employment is growing and where experienced workers are being displaced. The composition of employment growth matters here. Construction and manufacturing are absorbing workers, while technology, finance and other outward-facing industries remain under pressure from weaker global demand and ongoing changes in how firms deploy capital and technology. Companies considering expansion now have less certainty about future demand, which helps explain why hiring intentions and retrenchment intentions are rising at the same time. For policymakers, the challenge is no longer simply creating jobs. It is making sure displaced workers can move quickly into areas still generating demand. The less obvious effect is likely to be greater pressure on mid-career reskilling efforts as business reorganisation becomes a persistent feature of the labour market rather than a temporary adjustment. Writer: Brij

— The Content Factory (@tcf_updates) October 30, 2026

Which Sectors Are Witnessing Higher Layoffs in Singapore?

According to official data, job cuts remained elevated in selected outward oriented sectors. These include Information and Communications, Financial Services and Manufacturing.

Business reorganisation continued to be the main reason behind employee cuts. However, the Ministry of Manpower did not provide separate Q3 figures for each of these sectors in its advance release.

Despite Job Cuts, Singapore Created 27,700 Jobs in Q3 2026

Despite the job losses, Singapore's labour market continued to flourish in the third quarter, with total employment growing by 27,700. This was considerably higher than the figures recorded in the previous two quarters, which stood at 25,100 in Q3 2025 and 11,400 in Q2 2026, respectively.

Non resident employees accounted for the majority of employment growth, primarily in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Meanwhile, resident employment growth received support from essential and public services.

Singapore's overall unemployment rate remained unchanged at around 2% in September 2026. However, the unemployment rates among residents and citizens increased slightly.

Source: Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Are More Companies Planning to Lay Off Employees in Singapore?

The latest business indicators showed mixed scenarios among employers in September 2026. The share of companies expecting to retrench employees over the next 3 months increased from 2.8% in August to 3.1% in September.

However, expectations regarding hiring and wage increases also improved during the same period.

As per ministry, hiring and wage expectations remained below July's levels, indicating that employers continued to exercise caution amid economic uncertainty.

However, there is no specific information available from official government sources to suggest that these expectations will necessarily result in further large-scale layoffs.

Can Singapore's Layoff Trend Have an Impact on India?

The increase in layoffs rates in Singapore brings into focus the problems being faced by the outward sectors, especially Information & Communication, 

Financial Services and Manufacturing. But at present, there is no concrete data available from any source of the Indian Government about the trend resulting in similar job losses in India. The employment scenario in both countries will be determined by their economic situation.

Disclaimer: All the data is taken from the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

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